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Family files lawsuit in Canadian filmmaker’s Keys dive death
MIAMI — The family of a Canadian filmmaker and conservationist who died during a shark filming excursion off the Florida Keys filed a wrongful death lawsuit Tuesday.
Rob Stewart, 37, of Toronto, Canada, died while diving in January off the coast of Islamorada, Florida, to film a follow-up to his 2006 documentary “Sharkwater,” which examined the impact of shark hunting on the ocean’s ecosystem. He also made a 2013 documentary “Revolution” about environmental collapse and was a wildlife photographer.
According to the lawsuit, Stewart and dive organizer Peter Sotis both surfaced at the same with apparent breathing difficulties, but Stewart didn’t make it back on board the dive boat. While others were treating Sotis, they allowed Stewart to slip away.
Stewart’s submerged body was found three days later, about 300 feet from where he was last spotted on the surface, following a massive search involving the Coast Guard and several other agencies.